Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  So Far, So Good - 2008 Acura MDX
  By MSW - August 7 - 3:10 pm

  The car is very comfortable even for a 66" guy like myself. The "sit test" eliminated many other models. Ive only had it for 2 weeks, but so far, no major complaints. I got 17.3 MPG on the first tank in mostly rush hour traffic which was surprising.

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  What a purchase!! - 2009 Acura TSX
  By Shak - August 6 - 9:20 pm

  I purchased this car in July of 08. I considered BMW, Lexus, Audi, Accord and a few others. But the features for price, comfort, drive won hands down! Car drives great, awesome handling with steering, good acceleration (use pedal shifters... fun!). Ive always wanted an Acura, and this was the exact way to finally step into the brand! Had considered the 08 and the 09 TSX. The redesigned exterior of the 09 is what won me over and took a bigger chunk out my pocketbook.

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  Very happy - overall a great purchase - 2008 Acura TL
  By Nate H. - August 6 - 3:36 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Acura TL Type S in April. 4 months later I am still very happy. Excellent acceleration and the gas mileage is surprisingly good. Ive been averaging 27 mpg with city/hwy combined. Luxury and sport nicely combined. The TL offers more leg room for rear passengers than the IS 250 and G35. I wish the back seats were capable of folding down for my random stops at Lowes and Home Depot. The doors are hard to keep open while exiting but I will survive.

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  Love my Type S - 2003 Acura TL
  By charveycmt - August 6 - 5:33 am

  This car has great value and is very fun to drive. It is the best luxury car for the money, after having extensively researched all the European models. About the only negative thing I can find is that the ride in the Type S is a little stiffer than your typical luxury vehicle, but when you buy a car with a faster, larger engine, you expect to have a stiffer suspension. I knew this before I bought it, and have never regretted it for a moment.

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  RDX - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Dan - August 5 - 3:40 pm

  I wanted a sports car but needed the room of an SUV. It performs like a sports car with agility, quickness and handling but offers more comfort than a sports car. I evaluated the competitors but they could not compare for the difference in price. I am satisfied!

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  Ever-Ready Legend - 1994 Acura Legend
  By ForeverLegend - August 4 - 9:17 pm

  The Legend was bought used, and after 100,000 miles, the car is still going strong. At 170K miles, the car has had a few problems. Driver side window is dead, master cylinder has been replace, and splits in the leather seats. And one time the rear brake pad popped out of its bracket after my hitting a pothole. On the plus side, Ive never had any major problems. I typically drive freeways at 90 mph, get around 22 mpg, and have a smooth ride and good acceleration. If my Legend is like most others, Ill still be driving my car after another 100K miles. Ive been very happy with my car, and dont know what Id buy as a replacement.

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  Very happy I upgraded - 2008 Acura TL
  By Chas - August 4 - 2:46 pm

  So far the experience has been great! I started looking around at smaller, more fuel efficient models like the Accord and Civic but finally gave in and decided that a little luxury and styling had to be worth something. I really like the handling but my one knock is that it seems to give the slightest vibration at around 60 but then over that it goes away. Ill keep an eye on that but it might just be engine rattle at that rpm. Corners seem to grab and hold like I am not used to and I find myself heading into curves with a bit more confidence. I am very happy that I decided to step up. This a no-brainer over the Accord for me.

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  Buy this car! - 2008 Acura TL
  By I Love this Car! - August 3 - 8:21 pm

  I wanted a TL but I wanted to stand out from the crowd of other TL owners so I bought the TL-S with the aero body kit installed and it looks great. Im getting 22 mpg city on 87 octane. I tried the 91 oct but I cant tell the difference on 2 tanks so I went back to 87 and its just fine. Love the nav system, Id be so lost w/out it plus its a fun toy and great for resale when(if) I sell it. Not a rocket ship but has plenty of power for city driving and has the Honda reliability, fit and finish. It loaded with options that would cost thousands more with BMW, Lexus, Audi and Merc. Why pay more??

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  I now volunteer to run errands - 2009 Acura RL
  By hkl in TX - August 2 - 1:53 pm

  Had it a week and Im very pleased. Wanted a sports sedan with all the luxury/tech appointments. Drove E-Class, 5-series, M-35, 09 Maxima and Lexus GS. No major weaknesses vs. competition. If you are looking at this class, test the RL. Improved low end torque is a big plus vs. 08 model. Not as fast off the line as the 535, but as fast as the rest. Sports mode helps with initial acceleration, but not necessary after that. Quiet smooth ride. Not as noisy or bumpy as the GS and doesnt feel like a big boat like the M-35. Technology and radio are excellent. Interior comfort is awesome. Other brands more recognizable, but this is a better car.

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  Very Good Design, ride, and features - 2009 Acura TSX
  By gchaz - August 2 - 9:23 am

  I have been driving my new TSX for a week now and love it. Acura did a great job of making the most popular features standard (Xenon, Bluetooth, etc). The car has more than adequate pickup and handles very well. It also has a nice back seat. We test drove the IS 250, A4, G35, and S60/60. The TSX has the best combo of space, size, features, and performance of the group. The TSXs motor is superior to that of the IS 250 and A4 IMO. It has similar real world performance capabilities and gets better mileage. It is a very refined little car. Perfect for us. The IS and A4 were too small in the back seat and dont match the MPG--I am getting 29.7.